Close Call
by NashMarquez
Summary: After facing an almost death, will they realize what they haven't realized yet? Will they pursue it or will they suppress it and live their lives alone?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Heyya! This is my second H/Nat fic. Just wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Hope you would give it a chance. ****If you want to know the timeline, this takes place in Season 5, after the death of Marisol. **

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

"Heard you had a close call today?" Natalia asked the moment she walked towards Horatio. She had heard about it; about his narrow escape with death, trying to dispose of an armed vehicle. The officers were talking about how brave he was, driving a car that had a bomb ticking, just waiting to explode. The moment she heard about what happened, her heart thumped so hard against her chest and she almost panicked, worried something might happen to her boss.

"Well…we all did." Horatio replied in a slow and husky tone. "Did you get a chance to see Alexx?" He continued, concerned about his CSI's well being after he heard about what happened in his lab. He took a glance over to the plaster on her forehead. The glass table in the trace lab had shattered into pieces and had caused major damage. Not only that, it almost killed his CSI.

"Pfft. Yeah I feel like a total pin cushion." She chuckled slightly. "I should know if I'm healthy in about..about a week." Natalia continued, tugging a smile at the end of her lips. She loved how Horatio cared for all his CSIs. It was just in his nature; being caring and always the gentleman.

"Good. If you..uhm..feel you need to take some time, that's okay." Horatio offered. He stuttered a little. He was nervous. He smiled slightly at her, glad that she was fine and that she wasn't badly injured. He didn't want to lose any members of his team anymore. Especially after losing Tim Speedle, he became more protective of his team members.

"Thank you." She paused. "I think I'm going to be of more use here though." Horatio turned and tilted his head towards her, studying her face. She was serious about it.

"Okay." Horatio consented. Silence fell over the both of them. They both stood there in silence, trying to figure out what to say next. Horatio was just studying her. He looked serious. He frowned as he imagined how his life would be if Natalia had been killed in that incident.

"I guess you just never know when death is coming." Natalia broke the silence between them. It gave Horatio a slight shock but it gave him something to think about. He pondered and looked up at her.

"No we don't and that's why we shouldn't live in fear of it." She smiled at him and nodded. She agreed with him. She knew he was right.

"You're right." She stared at him. "You're right." She repeated, smiling. "Then I will see you tomorrow." She turned away slowly.

"You will see me tomorrow." He said, smiling again at her. As she walked away, he turned slowly, towards her. He watched her walk away. He smiled as he watched her walk away. This was the first time he felt like this ever since Marisol. He felt nervous around her and it made it hard for him to talk properly or even think properly.

_'Damn Horatio. You just lost your wife. It hasn't even been a year! How could you even do this.' _He scolded himself for having such thoughts. Marisol was not even gone for a year and he was already thinking about another woman. What made it worse was that Natalia is his own colleague, his CSI.

"Natalia, wait." He called her back. Natalia turned back.

"Yes? Is there anything else you need?" Horatio stared at her blindly. "Horatio?" Natalia called out.

"Uhm…" Horatio stuttered. _'Shit. Now you better have something to say!' _Horatio screamed inside his head. He was nervously fiddling with his sunglasses. Natalia looked at him and back at his hands. He wasn't talking or looking at her.

"Horatio? Is there anything you want to tell me?" Natalia pried.

"When you said you never know when death is coming, did you think that you could've died just now and that you never did what you wanted to do most?" It took all his courage to bring up that question. Natalia smiled.

"Yes I did. My life flashed before my eyes. And the only thing I saw was someone that I really loved. If I had died, that would be the only regret in my life; not telling him that I really loved him although I never showed it to him." Natalia smiled again. Horatio was still staring down at his sunglasses. He was quiet all the way but Natalia could see his shoulders slump.

_'Nick.'_ Horatio thought. He was the only person that Natalia has been with. He should have known that despite Nick's abusive character, Natalia and him had a past together and of course Natalia would love him. _'Shouldn't have asked such question. That was stupid. At least you know now Caine. Be cool and be nice.' _Horatio took a deep breath and continued.

"Then you should go ahead and tell him. Don't live in regrets." This time, Horatio looked up at her. "But Natalia, be careful. We don't want history to repeat itself." Horatio showed pure concern in his eyes. Natalia could feel her soul melting at his concern.

"I can assure you history won't repeat itself Horatio. But thank you for your concern."

"How would you know that?" Horatio frowned.

"I know that because I know him. He's not that kind of guy. Besides, I can take care of myself now." Natalia tried to convince him.

"Alright. I just don't want you to get hurt all over again."

"Thank you Horatio. But really, if I am ready, I will tell him. But right now, I don't think it's a good time." Horatio nodded.

"Alright. Just be careful." Natalia caught a tinge of disappointment in Horatio's voice when he spoke. He then looked down and focused on his sunglasses.

"Are you okay Horatio?" Horatio focused his attention back at her and looked into her eyes.

"I'm fine. I'll come by your place tonight to check on you. Is that okay with you?" His hands kept fiddling with his sunglasses.

"You know you don't have to trouble yourself Horatio. I don't want to cause you any inconvenience." She tilted her head slightly and smiled at him.

"It's not trouble. I just want to make sure you're alright. And don't bother making food. Just rest. I'll bring dinner for you." She smiled at his thoughtfulness and nodded. Her heart was suddenly beating fast and she could feel her face getting flushed.

"How about I send you home now. I think you might need the rest. You've been through a lot for a day." Horatio suggested in a very gentle manner. He waited patiently for her reply.

"Uhm..okay..but just let me get my stuff?" She asked for permission. Horatio nodded.

"Okay. I'll just wait at the car." He replied and walked away from her to the car. After a few minutes of waiting at the car, Natalia finally showed up with her handbag and walked towards Horatio who was already waiting in the car. As she neared the car, Horatio stepped out and guided her towards the passenger seat. He waited for her to settle down before closing the door and walking back to his seat.

"Wow. I didn't know you had such a nice car. I don't think I can afford such luxuries." Natalia complimented Horatio's white Audi A7 and chuckled at the end. She thought it was perfect for him. It was a simple yet elegant car. It was sleek. Just right for its owner whom is also a very elegant and simple man. Horatio just smiled slightly at the comment and put on his seatbelt then started driving off.

"So H, why did you risk your life, driving the car? Did you realize that it's like a suicide mission?" Horatio glanced and smiled at her.

"If I hadn't done it Miss Boa Vista, then I would risk everyone's lives and everyone might die."

"But wouldn't that mean losing your own life?" Natalia looked at him quizzically.

"They all have families and I can't let them die in vain. I can't do that to their families." Horatio let out a loud sigh.

"So you would rather lose your life?" Horatio nodded silently. Natalia just stared at him in awe. She admired his courage and bravery. He had always put other people in front of himself. She looked out of the window, her thoughts on Horatio.

"I've lost people I love for nothing. I know how that feels like and I don't want other people to experience it too. It hurts so much." Horatio spoke up but he said it very softly. It was as if he didn't want Natalia to hear it. Natalia turned her head towards him immediately and looked at him with sympathetic eyes. She wanted to say something to ease his pain but she didn't know how. He was opening up to her for reason she didn't know but she wanted to be there for him no matter what. She just kept quiet to let him talk and release whatever that he has been keeping inside. Horatio noticed that she was quiet.

"Sorry." He shook his head and chuckled slightly. "Didn't mean to throw that all on you." He apologized as he made a swift turn to the right and then stopped at an Italian restaurant to get take-away food for the both of them. Natalia waited in the car while Horatio went in to order.

Natalia waited in the car, sitting inside quietly as her thoughts went back to Horatio. Sometimes, she worries that one day, he could lose his life, trying to protect everyone._ 'Everyone. No matter how hard he tries, he can't possibly save everyone.' _She thought to herself. Of course, she wouldn't dare tell that to Horatio. She knew how much Horatio care about saving other people even if it means taking his life. She respected his principle. Just then, her thoughts were distracted by a knock on the window. It was Horatio, with food boxes in his hands. Natalia opened the door for him and took the entire load from him.

Horatio settled down and started driving. Within a few minutes, they arrived at Natalia's apartment and Horatio carried all the food boxes, allowing her to unlock the door. Once Horatio entered the house, he was mesmerized by the stylish and well-designed home. It felt cozy and warm. It felt like a home, unlike his house, cold and quiet. He could get used to this, he thought but he shook those thoughts off.

**TBC...**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Sorry for the long wait. I am currently writing 2 WIPs plus my fiction-writing assignment. So please bear with me. I hope the wait would be worth ;)**

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

**Previously...**

Horatio settled down and started driving. Within a few minutes, they arrived at Natalia's apartment and Horatio carried all the food boxes, allowing her to unlock the door. Once Horatio entered the house, he was mesmerized by the stylish and well-designed home. It felt cozy and warm. It felt like a home, unlike his house, cold and quiet. He could get used to this, he thought but he shook those thoughts off.

* * *

"You okay Horatio? Is there something bothering you? You seem fairly quiet." Horatio turned to look at her.

"I'm good. So where do I put all these?" He raised his hands slightly, indicating to the food boxes in his hands.

"Oh sorry. Erm…the kitchen is right at the end of the hallway. Just place it on the table. I'll get the plates." Horatio nodded and they both made their way to the kitchen together. Horatio placed the food on the table while Natalia kept herself busy, rummaging through the cabinets to find some plates and cutleries for the both of them. She laid the cutleries nicely on the table while Horatio just stood there, feeling all awkward, not knowing what to do.

"Horatio, don't just stand there feeling all awkward." Natalia tried to stifle her giggle but failed miserably. "I have a bottle of wine in the fridge if you don't mind taking it out for me."

"Uhm…I don't think I'm up for it tonight. I still need to drive home later." He paused. "But I'll just take it out for you. I'll opt for water." He smiled and stepped forward to get the bottle of wine and water for himself.

"Come here. Let me get your jacket. It's not that cold here is it?" Horatio blushed and took out his jacket, handing it over to Natalia who already had her hand out. Natalia went to hang his jacket, including hers, then headed back into the kitchen only to find Horatio seated at the table, with his sleeves rolled up, waiting for her patiently.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Natalia smiled and took a seat opposite Horatio. He smiled and nodded. They started eating, alongside chatting. "I take it that you always get your food from this place?" Natalia asked randomly.

"If you consider everyday as always, then yes." Horatio chuckled.

"You don't cook?"

"I do. But given the hours we work, I don't even have the time or energy left. Besides, sometimes I don't even feel like eating." Horatio replied as he twirled around his pasta with the fork.

"I rarely see you eat lunch anyway. Why?"

"Just have no time. You know how the crimes are in Miami. They don't even give you any lee-way." He smiled shyly. "Enough about me. My life is boring." He paused. "So you said you saw the person you love. Why not tell him?" Horatio brought up that topic again.

"Uhm…" Natalia was hesitant. Horatio saw the hesitance in her eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. You don't have to answer that. I was just being curious."

"It's okay. I just think he's not ready yet. And I'm not ready myself." Natalia answered softly.

_'Not ready? He's not ready?' _He questioned himself. _'Oh. How can I not remember this. She's with Eric!'_ Horatio mentally scolded himself.

"Oh." That was the only word that he could manage at that moment. "I'm sorry again. I shouldn't be prying into your personal life." Horatio took the last bite of his meal and wiped his mouth. He stood to clean the dishes but Natalia stopped him.

"Let it be. I'll clean it later." Horatio refused and made his way to clean his own plate. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"I don't want to trouble you. I already have troubled you by being here. I think it's time for me to leave. I just wanted to make sure you get some dinner and rest." Horatio smiled shyly.

"You want coffee?" Natalia offered.

"It's okay. I don't need anymore caffeine. The adrenaline from today is not wearing out just yet." He chuckled.

"You take it very lightly Horatio. The team was worried about you do you know that?" Natalia looked at him, serious and stern. The smile on his face disappeared.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I just didn't need anymore lives in my hands." Horatio looked down and fiddled with his hands. He felt awkward not having his sunglasses with him. It was on the table and he was left with no choice. He was touched at the concern that Natalia was showing but he knew every of his team member would be concerned that he had just escaped death by just a few seconds.

"Horatio, do you mind if I ask you something personal?" Horatio stopped focusing on his hand and looked up at her.

"Ask away." Natalia caught a glimpse of fear and insecurity in his eyes and decided not to ask him.

"Nevermind…"

"Miss Boa Vista, what is it that you want to ask? I don't eat people." Horatio smiled slightly, putting an ease to Natalia's fear of hurting his feelings. Natalia took a very deep breath and exhaled loudly. Horatio frowned. "What is it?" He asked again.

"Did you do that because you felt no point living? Because of what happened to Marisol?" Horatio went speechless. He just stared at Natalia. After a while, Natalia realized he didn't answer her question and she mentally kicked herself for asking him such a question. She looked at him and his face showed clear emotions of pain and sadness. She wanted to take him in her arms and soothe the pain away but at the same time, she wanted to slap herself for asking a very personal question and hurting him.

"Horatio. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up the past. I'm really sorry." Horatio looked away but Natalia cringed at the sight of him having tears in his eyes. He turned away from her, facing the window and looked out. Natalia saw him taking a deep breath and she let him compose himself.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to apologize. I was the one who insisted that you ask. I… I just wasn't prepared for that question." Horatio spoke up and turned back to her. He sighed loudly. Horatio hesitated to answer the question that was posed to him. Natalia felt sorry for him that he had to lose his wife and go through that alone. She stepped forward, closing the huge gap between them but leaving a comfortable space for them both and took his hand in hers. Horatio tensed up the moment their skin touched but relaxed after a while. He loved feeling the softness and the warmth of her skin. It has been almost a year since he last felt the tenderness of a woman's touch.

"You do know that you have a team that cares for you right Horatio?" She looked into his eyes, which were filled with so much pain and sorrow. She caressed the back of his hand gently. "You don't have to go through this alone Horatio. You have always been here for us. I think it's time for you to let us be there for you." Natalia spoke softly, pleading to him to allow them to help him. Along with her speech, her eyes were begging him silently.

Horatio looked back at her and saw the sincerity and the care. He wanted to break the contact between them because it was wrong. She was his colleague. Yet, something in him tells him not to break the contact; that he was comfortable being under her touch. He wanted more. He wanted more than just a touch on the hand. The moment that thought flashed across his mind, he quickly and immediately retracted and jerked away from her touch. His action was so quick and rough that Natalia thought she had done something wrong. In an instance, she stepped away from him. She looked at him, eyes full of questions about his action.

"I'm sorry." Horatio apologized and took a step back. "I think I should go now. It's late." He then went to the table and took his sunglasses. He turned back to her, fingers fiddling with his sunglasses, he thanked her for the lovely dinner that they had. Natalia stood in shock. She should have known not to ask such a personal question. She hated herself for hurting Horatio. She didn't mean to hurt him. In the end, as Horatio walked towards the door, Natalia shook herself out of the shock and followed behind him, taking his jacket for him.

"It's nice having you here Horatio. Thank you for the lovely dinner." Horatio smiled. "And Horatio, I'm sorry."

"Goodnight Miss Boa Vista. I'll see you at the lab tomorrow." He smiled slightly and left. Natalia stood at the door, watching him leave and drive off. Never had she anticipated that the night would turn out bad. She thought it would be a great night where both of them could have some time to relax themselves. That night, she went to sleep with guilt and regrets in her mind. She couldn't shake the guilt off, knowing that she had hurt Horatio so bad.

Meanwhile, Horatio on the other hand, went back to his lonely and cold house where he had no one waiting for him. He didn't like coming home to an empty house but right now, he didn't want to care. He just needed his rest. The adrenaline was wearing off and the only thing he wants to do is to sleep. He didn't even think about what happened during dinner with Natalia. He shrugged the question off and decided to let it go. He found no purpose in dwelling the past. Marisol, his wife was dead and there was nothing that he could do to bring her back. Yes, he did love her but even after avenging for her death, there was still nothing he could do. He sighed loudly as he flopped himself on the bed. His room was dark since he didn't bother switching on the light. He wanted to stay in the dark. He wanted to keep himself away from the world; even though just for a moment. He needed solitary to think through what he did earlier. Eventually, he fell asleep, in his suit pants and shirt. He had only taken off his jacket.

The next morning, Horatio strode into the lab with confidence and so much poise. His sunglasses were hung on his neck as his fingers flipped through the file in his hands. He didn't even notice his CSI approaching him.

"Hey H!" Eric called out, causing him to almost lose a grip on the file. By instinct, Horatio quickly grabbed the files in his hands and prevented it from slipping from his fingers. "Sorry H. Didn't mean to startle you." Horatio nodded, forgiving his CSI. "We got a call out. Biscayne Bay beach. Ryan and Frank is already there." Eric informed.

"Alright. Can you help me put this back at my desk..I'll be on my way to the scene." Horatio said as he handed over the file to Eric. He then made his way to the garage and drove off to the crime scene. The moment he arrived at the crime scene, Ryan and Frank were standing under the tree, avoiding the Miami sun. Horatio scanned the area. There was no body anywhere on the beach and he was starting to have a bad feeling about this.

"Where's the body Mr. Wolfe?" He asked as he approached the two men. He stood sideways and took his sunglasses off, tilting his head towards Ryan. Ryan shrugged and Frank too, shrugged. "Have you canvassed the area?" Ryan nodded and held up a bag which contained a bullet casing. "Okay. Send it back to the lab and keep me in the loop." Horatio instructed then left the scene since there was nothing else to do there.

Meanwhile in the lab, Calleigh, Eric, Alexx and Natalia were busy with their own business. Ryan arrived shortly after and started processing the evidence without even distracting the rest of the team. He knew all of them were busy. He swabbed the bullet casing for any trace but found nothing. Nevertheless, he found a fingerprint on it. He waited for nothing and ran it through CODIS.

"Mr. Wolfe…" Horatio stepped into Ryan's vicinity. Right then, a match came up and Horatio stared at it blankly.

"H?" Horatio turned to the young man.

"I don't understand this. I was nowhere near the beach at all. Mr. Wolfe, I want you to get to the bottom of this. As of now, I'm your only suspect." Horatio paused. He started unclipping his badge and his gun holster. "Keep this." Horatio handed both his gun and badge to the young CSI. "I need you to question me like you would question any suspect." Ryan nodded and started questioning his whereabouts, to which he answered truthfully that he had dinner with Natalia and went home straight after that. He had honestly admitted that he had no alibi after the dinner. Ryan ended the questioning and allowed Horatio to go. As Horatio left the room, Ryan smiled slyly to himself. He quickly fished his cell phone and started typing.

_'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!'_

**TBC...**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N : Sorry for the long wait. I am currently writing 2 WIPs plus my fiction-writing assignment. So please bear with me. I hope the wait would be worth ;) **

**Thank you so much for your great reviews. Glad you enjoyed it ;)**

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

**Previously...**

As Horatio left the room, Ryan smiled slyly to himself. He quickly fished his cell phone and started typing.

_'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!'_

* * *

Horatio walked out and towards the pantry. He needed a break. He was confused with the evidence. He was sure that he wasn't near the beach at all. Although he had always gone to a beach after a case to get his mind off it, Biscayne Bay was never his choice. The beach behind his house was his ultimate choice. He started the coffee and waited by the table. His thoughts were messed up and unfocused. He stared out the window, watching officers of the law, walking in and out of the building. He sighed ever so loudly and suddenly the coffeemaker beeped. He poured the hot liquid into his cup and he sipped it slowly. As the hot liquid goes down his throat, he felt a wave of relief but he knew it wasn't enough to calm him down. Calleigh entered the pantry and stood beside him.

"Horatio.." She called out. As she stood beside him, she could feel the tension in the air surrounding him. "I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" Calleigh was concerned. He sighed and turned to her.

"Can the day get any worse? I handed my badge and gun to Mr. Wolfe. Can you handle them?" Calleigh nodded.

"Horatio, I don't want you to worry about this. I'm pretty sure you're innocent." She smiled at him, widely, to cheer him up. "You know the team will be here for you. It's time for us to be here for you Horatio. Just relax and let us do the work." Calleigh then turned and left Horatio there, alone.

The moment he was left alone in the pantry, he felt lonely. It was as if he had to go through this alone. He felt left out. He felt vulnerable. With no badge, no gun, he felt as if he just lost all the power he had before this. Outside, Eric, Ryan and Calleigh met up with each other, discussing about Horatio.

"Well, you guys should have seen Horatio. He's very worried. You can see it from his face. He has been frowning ever since he saw the results." Calleigh giggled. "Really, I know this is evil, but it's funny." They continued joking and laughing about Horatio. Ryan could never forget the look on Horatio's face. They knew it was evil of them to do that to Horatio but they needed to. Their boss needed to have some humor in his life. They were very much satisfied with the reaction they got from Horatio.

"So now what?" Ryan repeated his question.

"We wait for Nat and Alexx. They're getting the cake. We've already decorated his office. I can't believe he forgot his own birthday." Calleigh shook her head. "So what did you get him?"

"Me and Frank are sharing. We bought him Cuban Cigars. Frank said he loves it. I don't know. Never seen him smoke before. But whatever. I'm just chipping in." Ryan answered casually. "What about you?"

"We bought for him a Vintage Krug Brut."

"Woaahhh. You've got to be kidding me." Eric shrugged.

"Come on Ryan, his birthday only comes once a year. Besides, I think he deserves it." Calleigh interrupted and Eric just nodded. "Anyway I heard Alexx is making a photo collage. Hope it's awesome. I don't know what Nat is giving him tho…"

Right as Calleigh ended her sentence, the lift dinged and Natalia, along with Alexx stepped out of the lift. Natalia was carrying the cake in her hand while Alexx had in her hands, a bag of miscellaneous goods such as the plates and fork. Alexx was also carrying the bottles of drinks. Eric and Ryan stepped forward to volunteer to carry the goods in their hands. Everyone was very excited for the birthday party that they planned for Horatio. The week before, Calleigh had taken the liberty to ask the chief for permission to make him a suspect without having IAB step in later. The moment the chief gave her the green light, they started planning. Calleigh made sure every one of them had a task.

Calleigh made sure that she would get a bullet casing with Horatio's fingerprint. A week ago, Calleigh eyed Horatio for the whole week and she was very confident that Horatio would clean his gun. She knew he would because he was very particular about the maintenance of his gun. She waited and she ceased the opportunity, the moment it happened. As Horatio was cleaning his gun, Calleigh had appeared out of nowhere to talk to him about a case and as they were talking, her hand snaked very slowly and very carefully to take one of the bullets. She made sure that she took it with a napkin so that his fingerprints would be preserved. After that was done, the rest of the jobs were made easy. All they need to do was lure Horatio out to the crime scene and keep him out of the lab while they transformed his office.

Calleigh and Eric were in charge of decorating his office on that day while Natalia and Alexx went to get the cake. Ryan and Frank were tasked to keep him out of the office while they decorated the office. They hung a 'Happy Birthday' banner in his office and propped it with colorful ribbons. All of them stood in position, waiting for Horatio to enter his office before surprising them. As they hid behind the wall, they saw Horatio walking towards his office. They smirked. His shoulders dropped as he walked. It was as if he'd lost hope.

"Okay guys..in 3…2…1…" Calleigh counted and all of them jumped at once, surprising Horatio once he turned his doorknob. All of them shouted "Happy Birthday" with so much enthusiasm and delight, Ryan and Eric being the loudest amongst them. Horatio jumped at their voices and turned around immediately. His face went white as ghost. It was as if his blood was drained from his body. Horatio stood in front of his office, with shock in his face. His eyes widened, his mouth opened. He was speechless. Calleigh started giggling when she saw that Horatio was rendered speechless. The rest followed her and laughed along.

"Horatio, close your mouth before a fly goes in." Calleigh teased him. Horatio shook his head and cleared his mind, trying to absorb what just happened. He had totally forgotten about his own birthday. He didn't see the need to. He didn't want to remind himself that he is aging and yet his life is still stagnant. To him, birthdays are just a reminder that he hasn't accomplished what he had dreamed for. He longed for a family, to have his own children. He had a plan, a wife; to live his dream but that was taken away from him in just a split second.

"Horatio?" Calleigh called out, trying to bring him out of the trance. Horatio straightened himself and took a deep breath. He looked at every one of his team member. They all looked happy, exuberant and excited, while he…he was gloomy. Calleigh took notice of his demeanor. "You okay Horatio?"

"Uhm if you'll excuse me…I need to go to the Gents." All of them were shocked. They hadn't expected this reaction from Horatio. Their expressions dropped; from happy to disappointed. They had expected a shock from Horatio but they thought he would recover from it and be happy and excited. They looked at each other, expecting any one of them to come up with an idea on how to handle the situation. Alexx suggested that they put the cake and presents in his office then think of what to do; or maybe wait until Horatio comes back.

Meanwhile, in the gents, Horatio stood over the sink with hands on both sides of the sink. The tap was running. He stared at himself in the mirror. He realized, by the wrinkles on his face that age was catching up on him. He took the water in his hands and splashed it on his face, letting the water drip from his face. He wanted to hide. He didn't want to celebrate his birthday; not without accomplishing anything in his life. He wanted something else apart from catching criminals. He wanted a happy ending, a closure. He almost had a happy ending which didn't end happily. He was starting to believe that there was no way that he could be happy anymore. There was nothing to look forward to. Suddenly, he heard the door open and he looked up in the mirror. He saw Frank in the reflections.

Frank approached Horatio slowly and saw the man he calls his best friend, broken. The man he thought was strong had fallen apart and breaking down. Just by looking in the mirror, he saw the pain and the emptiness in his best friend's eyes. His walls were broken. He touched Horatio's shoulder with one hand and squeezed it gently. He understood that his best friend was in pain but he didn't know why. He knew he needed to be there for his best friend. Frank wanted so badly to ask him what was going on but he decided against it. Horatio was a private man and he knew that Horatio won't talk about anything private.

"Did you ever think that you would be what you are today?" Frank was taken aback by Horatio's question. He looked and studied his friend intently, trying to figure out what to say. As he was about to answer, Horatio cut him off, "I always thought, I would have a family by now, having my own children." Now Frank understood why he fell apart; why he wasn't as excited about the birthday surprise. He knew of his plan with Marisol. Horatio wanted to build a family with her but that dream crashed. Frank now understood why he ran away into hiding. He didn't like seeing his friend broken. Not when his friend was always the strong one but Frank knew that someday, the strong front will eventually break and now was the time.

Frank tried to comfort Horatio; telling him that he still have a chance at living his dream to have a family but Horatio just didn't want to believe him. He was stubborn. Frank couldn't say anything else. He knows Horatio too well. Once Horatio decides on something, nothing can ever change his mind. He was just going to pray and hope that Horatio would eventually find happiness, if only he allows himself to find it. Horatio washed his face again and dried it with a napkin. He took a deep breath and composed himself, bringing the wall back up. Frank noticed the change in demeanor but he decided to let it go. He knew that it was Horatio's way to keep himself from getting hurt. He knew Horatio never allowed anyone to see through him. Only Marisol managed to break that brick wall of his. Frank just wished that there would be another woman to break his wall.

Horatio stepped out of the Gents and walked towards the team who were waiting in his office. Frank followed behind him. Everyone were concerned about him but didn't want to push him into telling. Horatio put on his strong front and braced himself to sit in with them to celebrate his birthday. He gave them a smile and apologized to them about his actions sincerely.

"Shall we cut the cake?" Horatio said while smiling shyly. The mood lightened up and the team was smiling again. "Just don't sing." Horatio warned even before they started singing. Eric and Ryan jeered but Calleigh gave them a death glare. They stopped and agreed on just cutting the cake. Horatio made the first cut into the cake without the candle-blowing session. He felt he was too old for that and he doesn't believe in it. Calleigh then took over to cut the cake into portions then handed to each of them. As they were finishing the cake, Calleigh suggested starting the gift-giving. Calleigh started the ball rolling.

"This is from me and Eric." Calleigh said as she handed the bottle of Vintage Krug Brut. Horatio smiled widely upon seeing the bottle. "Savor every drop of it." Horatio nodded.

"Yes Ma'am. Thank you Eric." Up next was Ryan and Frank. They handed him a box of Cuban cigar and once again, Horatio smiled, happy with the gifts he had just received. Alexx was next. She handed him a frame of the collage that she made. It was a collage of the team and himself. Horatio chuckled when he saw the pictures on the frame. It was pictures of the team. It even had a picture with him standing sideways, hands on hips and wearing sunglasses. It was his usual stance. Lastly, it was Natalia. She handed him a wrapped box and curiosity in him peaked. He tried shaking the box but there wasn't any noise. He tore the wrapping gently, treating it as if it was evidence. Then he saw it. Ferrari Black cologne. He looked up at Natalia, raising his eyebrows at her. The team stared at her, not expecting her to know what type of cologne he uses. She smiled at him.

"Hope you like it." Horatio smiled and nodded then thanked her for the gift. He was surprised that she knows that Ferrari Black was one of his favorites. He doesn't usually wears any cologne but during special occasions, he would; and he didn't think anyone would notice such details. Moreover, he didn't expect Natalia to notice or to even have any knowledge of it.

Natalia on the other hand, was glad that he liked the gift she bought for him. She had noticed that he used Ferrari Black during special occasions. Everytime they had the department annual dinner and dance, she noticed a particular scent from him. From then on, she went hunting for that particular cologne. It took her a few months to find it and she was glad that she did. Although she was afraid that it might create a wrong idea, she didn't care. She knew that buying cologne for him might be too intimate but she didn't care. She was just relieved that she got the right kind of cologne and that he liked it. That was the only thing that mattered to her.

Horatio thanked all of them for the surprise and the gifts. He was very much appreciative for the celebration even though he didn't want to celebrate it. He contemplated on giving the team a scolding for pulling a serious prank on him but decided against it, especially after knowing that the Chief had given them the green light. He was at least appreciative that the team had made an effort to celebrate his birthday with him. At least he wasn't alone that year. As they were leaving, Calleigh turned around to him.

"Anyway Horatio, I think these belong to you." She said, smiling as she handed both his gun and his badge. Horatio gave her an appreciative smile as he took them in his hands. He stared at it intently, as if he would never see it ever again. Calleigh shook her head and took her leave, following the rest of the team.

**TBC...**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : Sorry for the long wait. I have been trying my best to keep up with this one. I am actually loving this story for some reason although I'm not much of H/Nat shipper. But I would give my best for this. Hope you enjoyed it. And from the reviews, I sure think you're enjoying it. Cheers! ;)**

**Thank you so much for your great reviews. Glad you enjoyed it ;)**

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

**Previously...**

"Anyway Horatio, I think these belong to you." She said, smiling as she handed both his gun and his badge. Horatio gave her an appreciative smile as he took them in his hands. He stared at it intently, as if he would never see it ever again. Calleigh shook her head and took her leave, following the rest of the team.

* * *

Horatio clipped on his badge and his gun back to his belt. He felt complete all over again. Then the thought of him not having a family haunts him again. He decided to push the thoughts aside. Meanwhile, in the other room, Natalia was with Calleigh, just trying to analyse evidence from the previous case. Calleigh looked over her shoulder and saw Natalia staring into blank space. Had she not known what Natalia gave to Horatio, she would've shrugged off her behavior but Calleigh wasn't oblivious. Giving her boss his favorite cologne was something more than casual. Calleigh suspected something. A subordinate wouldn't just give a gift so intimate to her boss. It needed to be something and Calleigh was determined to get an answer.

"Hey Nat, you okay?" Calleigh asked as she stepped forward to where Natalia was standing. Calleigh stood just by her side, not too near and not too far. Natalia had her arms across her chest, hugging herself and Calleigh had a feeling that she was feeling troubled. Natalia looked at Calleigh questioningly when she popped the question. She just shrugged the question off and told Calleigh that she's fine and that she didn't need to worry about anything.

"Nat, if there was nothing bugging you, you wouldn't be so quiet. I've worked with you for a few years now. And besides, you didn't pick that printed results." Calleigh pointed out to the piece of paper that has finished printing. Calleigh gave her the 'don't-lie-to-me' look. Natalia sighed and took the paper in her hands then walked away from Calleigh. She had a feeling that Calleigh suspected something and if Calleigh had suspected, the others might have suspected something too. She cursed herself for being so bold to give Horatio such a gift. She wanted to get away from Calleigh because she knew that Calleigh will sooner or later pop that particular question but she knew she couldn't escape.

"You care for him don't you?" Calleigh asked as soon as Natalia walked away from her. Immediately, Natalia turned to her, looking offended. Calleigh waited for her to respond but there was none. Instead, Natalia slammed the piece of paper onto the table and stormed out of the lab, rushing towards the elevator and passing by Eric and Ryan. Both men said their 'Hi' but were ignored. They both took a double take on her then turned their focus to Calleigh. "Don't ask me." Calleigh said non-chalantly and continued doing her work.

Natalia made her way down to the garage and sat in her car. She knew of the risks when she decided to give the gift to Horatio. She knew that people would have their suspicions but she didn't expect it to be so soon. Yes, she might have feelings for Horatio but she wasn't ready to admit it yet. Horatio was after all her boss and he had just lost his wife. She was cursing at herself. She shouldn't have given that cologne to him. She started wiping off the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even realize that she had been crying. A knock on the window caught her attention and she quickly wiped her face dry.

It was Calleigh and Eric. Both of them had talked in the lab. Calleigh had told him of her suspicions and about what happened earlier before Natalia stormed out of the lab. They both decided that they should talk to her first. When Natalia turned towards them, they took a step back to allow her to open the door and the both noticed that she had been crying. Calleigh stepped forward and gave her a hug, apologizing to her for being so insensitive. Eric suggested that they meet up after work to talk about what happened. Initially, Natalia declined but after being persuaded, she eventually caved in and agreed. The three of them made their way back up to wrap up their cases then signed out after handing Horatio the case files.

"So Nat, you care about him don't you?" Natalia didn't respond and kept stirring her coffee. The three of them decided to go downtown to Starbucks to talk it through. "Nat…" Calleigh called out as she reached over to her friend. Natalia was debating with herself. She didn't know what to tell them. She couldn't possibly admit to Eric, Horatio's former brother-in-law that she does care for him. His sister, Horatio's wife had just died. Besides, she wasn't even sure of her own feelings. She felt Calleigh reaching out to her and her immediate response was to pull away. It was tough on her that her friends are asking her about her personal life. She wanted to run away; to just escape from being questioned, but Calleigh was patient. Both Calleigh and Eric sat there in silence, waiting for Natalia to speak up. Eventually, after minutes of silence, Natalia responded to their question.

"I think I do care about him." Natalia answered as she stopped stirring and staring into her cup of coffee. Calleigh and Eric had different reactions. Calleigh was smiling while Eric, on the other hand, had his eyes wide opened. Eric almost spat the coffee in his mouth but quickly took a napkin to cover it. Calleigh pinched him under the table when she saw how Eric reacted and he apologized. She gave him a death glare while Natalia looked back down at her coffee.

"Hey Nat, that's okay…Sometimes we can't help who we fall for…ya know…you get what I mean right Nat…" Calleigh tried to console her friend but Natalia kept looking down, not daring to look up for fear that they would see the tears in her eyes. Calleigh gave Eric a look, which prompted him to speak up.

"Calleigh's right Natalia. Feelings aren't something we can control. It just happens when we least expect it." He spoke softly and reached out to her hand that was still stirring the coffee. Natalia tensed up. "Nat, look at us." She caved in and looked up, exposing her teary eyes. "Horatio is a good man and it's not your fault that you care for him." Eric paused. "Look, if you really care for him, go for him. Break his wall that he has been building all these while. " Natalia was taken aback by his speech but continued listening. "I've known him for long Nat. It's hard to break his wall but I know it's possible. It takes time."

"But…" Natalia wanted to bring up the issue of Marisol but was hesitant. In the end, Eric beat her to it.

"Nat, I'm not going to lie to you and build your hopes high but it's gonna take longer than Marisol. He's still hurting over her death but I know he will eventually let down his wall. You've got to be patient with him. He needs to move on. He deserves happiness." Calleigh turned to Eric immediately when she heard that he brought up the issue of Marisol. It took him a lot of courage for him to talk about his sister. She reached out for his free hand and squeezed it gently, giving him the support he needed. Eric smiled at her appreciatively.

"Give him some time Nat. But I just want to give you a heads up. I treat him like my own brother and I don't want you to hurt his feelings. He's been through enough. If you really care for him, just go for it. If you're not sure of your feelings, then don't. I don't want him to hurt anymore. He's a good man and he doesn't deserve to be hurt so many times. I know you're a good person so I trust you with him." Natalia looked at him with tears rolling down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped off. For the first time during that night, Natalia had actually smiled.

"Thank you Eric." He nodded.

"So you've been noticing what cologne he wore huh?" Eric teased her and she blushed then Eric broke into a fit of laughter. "I didn't know that you like him. I guess I was too oblivious huh. But Nat, that was quite an impressive move to give him that cologne." Natalia smiled shyly.

"I saw him flash before my eyes when I had a close call yesterday. And I thought I almost lost him when I heard from the officers about his stunt to dispose the armed car. I just thought I needed to make a move." Natalia finally admitted to them. Calleigh smiled widely. "What?"

"You really do care for him. Go for him Nat." Eric nodded, agreeing with Calleigh.

"Come on Nat. He rarely pursues a woman. He's just shy that way and you know that. You should have seen the way he was with Mari." He paused, trying to think over what he just said. It hurts a lot to talk about Marisol but he felt like he needed to say it to Natalia. "She pursued him and gave him some form of hope. That's when I realized that Horatio had also given her hope. But sadly that didn't last." He saw her face drop and thought he might have said too much. "Nat, I'm not comparing you to my sister but I just want you to know that he's not the typical kind of man. Even around female suspects, he is so shy. Sooo….."

"It's okay Eric. I get what you mean. You just want me to be prepared." Natalia smiled at him. Eric nodded and sighed gratefully. Natalia was thankful that Eric and Calleigh understood her and didn't bash her for caring for Horatio. She was exceptionally grateful towards Eric because he was very supportive despite his sister being married to Horatio before this. She knew that she needed to make sure of her own feelings because she wouldn't want to hurt Horatio. That man doesn't deserve to be hurt in any way possible. Natalia kept Eric's words in mind. The three of them decided to call it a day and went straight home.

Once home, Natalia was glad that she had at least confided in both her friends despite unwillingly. She walked into the kitchen and there, she got reminded of Horatio. He was there, seated in that very place the night before and hadn't she brought up the issue on Marisol, he would probably have stayed much longer. She took a glass of water then went straight to her room. She needed the rest. As she was lying in her bed, her mind drifted off to Horatio. He is such a good man and an easy man to fall in love with.

She wants to pursue him but she is afraid to do so. Eric was right. Horatio wasn't the kind of man who would go around trying to get women but she wasn't sure if he would be receptive if she were to pursue him. She was afraid to make a move on Horatio but when she thought it through, if she doesn't make a move, she might never get a chance with Horatio. Eric had warned her that it would take time for Horatio to break his wall and she was determined to break that wall. Horatio deserves happiness and she hoped that she would give him just that. It doesn't matter if along the way, Horatio doesn't feel the same way. What matters to her is that she tried. That night, she made her mind. She would try to pursue Horatio; to try to break down his wall.

**TBC...**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N : Sorry for the very very long wait. I don't know why but I have been procrastinating on this story and not working on it. Now that I'm on a semester break, I will try to update the story. I'd love to entertain you with this but just bear with me. It will be updated and hopefully it will get better. **

**I have things planned out and I hope it would be good. Oh just so you know, I will be adapting some of the cases from the episodes, except that i would make it according to my plan. I will only take the essence of the case but the rest is mine. **

**Oh. And thank you for your reviews. I'm glad you loved it. That has kept me going ;)**

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

**Previously...**

She wants to pursue him but she is afraid to do so. Eric was right. Horatio wasn't the kind of man who would go around trying to get women but she wasn't sure if he would be receptive if she were to pursue him. She was afraid to make a move on Horatio but when she thought it through, if she doesn't make a move, she might never get a chance with Horatio. Eric had warned her that it would take time for Horatio to break his wall and she was determined to break that wall. Horatio deserves happiness and she hoped that she would give him just that. It doesn't matter if along the way, Horatio doesn't feel the same way. What matters to her is that she tried. That night, she made her mind. She would try to pursue Horatio; to try to break down his wall.

* * *

The next day, Natalia went to work as per normal except this time, she had something else in mind. She was going to ask Horatio out. She needed to make the first move. First of all, she needed to break the tension between them. She needed to apologize to him for raking up the past and being insensitive towards his feelings. She went to search for her Lieutenant in his office but didn't find him there. He was usually in his office first thing in the morning but today was different. It was odd. Then she saw Calleigh in the break room and decided to ask her about Horatio. She too, didn't know where Horatio was. She wanted to call him to make sure he was alright but decided against it. Maybe he woke up late-that wasn't like him. Horatio was never late. Maybe he got stuck in traffic. Natalia was trying to ease her mind and heart; thinking of all positive things but that didn't rid her worry for him. She stirred her coffee. She felt like she was on autopilot. She didn't even realize that she was making coffee for herself until she felt the burning sensation on her lips.

"Ugh." She groaned as she took a can off the fridge and pressed against her scalded lips. She then heard a ding. The elevator door opened and there he was. Her red-headed lieutenant. He wasn't hers per se but she wanted to assume so-just to give her a sense of confidence to fight for him. It was complicated. She knew what she wanted but the problem was that she didn't know how to have it in her grasp. Nevertheless, she kept in mind what her friends told her. Horatio needed to be approached slowly and subtly.

"Morning Horatio." Natalia greeted him on her way out from the break room. She wanted to sound casual. She didn't want to look like she was desperate for his attention. _'Keep calm Nat. Breathe. Focus. Relax. Just say Hi.'_

"Morning Miss Boa Vista."

_'Breathe Nat. Breathe. Come on. Ask him. Dinner. Yes. Dinner. Say it out loud!'_

"Uhm Horatio…About the other night…"

"Miss Boa Vista, there's nothing about the other night. I'm not holding it against you. It was partly my fault." Horatio said calmly as he took off his sunglasses and fiddled with it between his fingers.

"But I was wrong Horatio. I shouldn't have asked such a personal question. I was out of line."

"I don't blame you Miss Boa Vista. You warned me but I insisted." Horatio gave her a slight smile. Natalia melted at his smile but she kept her cool. She kept her poker face and acted like nothing is happening on her insides. The both of them went quiet. Neither of them had anything else to say. Horatio was busy fiddling the sunglasses in his hands while Natalia was busy entertaining her thoughts of Horatio. As they were busy keeping quiet and feeling awkward with each other, the lift dinged and both of them were brought back to reality.

"Morning Nat. Morning H." Eric entered the lab with a smirk on his face. He knew and he wanted to torment Natalia about it. He smirked mischievously and deviously. Natalia glared at him and he just wiggled his eyebrow up and down; teasing her further.

"Morning Eric." The both of them greeted in unison and that caused Eric to smile wider.

"You seemed very chirpy today Eric. Good night yesterday?"

"It's great. Talk to you later H." Eric left the two of them together. He didn't want to impose or intrude any private talks that they were having. Before he left, he winked playfully at Natalia to torment her further.

"Horatio…" Natalia stammered. She looked down at her shoes. She wriggled her toes a little to get rid of her nervousness. She wanted to ask Horatio out for dinner. It was the first step but she couldn't seem to get the question out. Horatio looked at her, waiting for her to say something. She clearly had something to say but she was not saying it. He waited patiently.

"Is there anything else Miss Boa Vista? Because if not, I'd like to head to my office." Horatio said politely. Natalia looked at him nervously and she finally decided that she needed to ask him already; before Horatio walks away and she misses the opportunity.

"I'd like to make you dinner. Is that okay with you?" She stammered in between her words but managed to get it all out. _'Make? For god sake Nat. You're supposed to ask him out to dinner. Not cook for him. Damn Nat. How worse are you gonna make this.' _She scolded herself internally.

"That wouldn't be necessary. I've forgiven you." Horatio smiled. Natalia insisted on asking him out still. She knew the reason why he declined her offer. It was probably because she was his subordinate and he was still getting over Marisol. She negotiated with him. She offered to buy him dinner instead of cooking for him. It suddenly struck her that making him dinner was a little too intimate. She didn't want to scare him off. She even told him that she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Horatio didn't accept her offer. She was using guilt trick on him. She knew he would fall for it. He was such a gentleman that he wouldn't turn that down. In the end, Horatio relented and accepted her offer.

Natalia decided on an Italian restaurant. Judging by his choice of dinner the other night, it seemed like Horatio loved Italian food. After Horatio agreed to accept the offer, they parted ways and she immediately went to search for Calleigh who was flipping through the case file. She really didn't want to disturb her but she needed to. She wanted to ask for her opinion on what restaurant to bring Horatio to. She called out to her twice before Calleigh turned to acknowledge her. Both women talked about restaurants in Miami but still couldn't come to a conclusion. Natalia wanted a casual place; a place that would not say 'this-is-a-date'. In the end, Calleigh recalled her first date with Eric. She had loved that place very much and it served decent Italian cuisine; La Locanda. That was the only place, decent enough that she could think of. Natalia considered her suggestion and agreed on it. She was too tired to think of any other places.

"But Nat, it's a little posh. It kinda will look like a date…but you can make it look like it's not. Just dress casually." Calleigh reminded and then went back to work. Natalia immediately went to one of the computers and logged on. She needed to make a reservation for tonight. She hoped that the place was not full. She really needed this to work for her. She got the number of the restaurant and went out of the ballistic lab to make the call. Right when she ended the call, Eric was standing behind her, smirking like he was up to something bad.

"Making a reservation to a restaurant huh Nat? Smooth..." Eric then chuckled loudly. He loved to annoy her; especially now. Natalia rolled her eyes at him and walked away. Eric however, still wanted to annoy her further. "Which restaurant? Romantic dinner?" She turned abruptly and gave him a death glare. Eric laughed and raised his hands up, surrendering. "Okay okay. I won't annoy you anymore. But tell me please?" Natalia raised her left eyebrow and gave him the annoyed face then walked away once again. She now headed to Horatio's office to tell him the time and place.

The day seemed very quiet. There were no cases or any dead bodies. All of them were mostly in the lab running evidences from the past cases. Calleigh was busy analyzing and comparing bullets from the case that happened last week while Eric was analyzing the clothes of the victim. Ryan however, was working on another case along with Natalia. Both of them were working on the kidnapping case. They have been on the kidnapping case for the longest time and they still could not find anything that could lead them to the kidnapper. They had nothing except a few dead girls that were left in the middle of nowhere. The bodies were even cleaned up from any traces. Horatio had been there to assist them but they still could not find anything. Autopsy result only showed that the victims were tortured to death. They had been electrocuted, burnt and beaten. There was nothing that the kidnapper didn't do to them.

While Natalia was analyzing the victims' clothes for any particular odor that could lead them to the primary crime scene, Horatio knocked softly on the door. With glasses on his one hand and the other hand checking his gun on his right hip, he glanced at her sideways. He gave her a slight smile before speaking up. Natalia's face brightened up when she saw his smile. Horatio's smile had a calming effect for her.

"Natalia, do you need me to pick you up at your place?"

"Well..uhm I was thinking we could go from here. What do you think?"

"I wouldn't mind that but I have a hearing later. So I might not be here. I'll pick you up then? From your place? At 7?"

"That would be perfect Horatio. Thank you." Horatio nodded then headed for the door to leave. Natalia smiled inwardly; proud that she managed to ask Horatio out despite her nervousness.

"Horatio picking you up?" Eric appeared out of nowhere.

"God dammit Eric. Stop that will ya!" Eric smirked and left. Natalia then continued on her work. She prayed and hoped that time would pass by faster. She could not wait for the dinner with Horatio. She was planning in her head about what to say to him during dinner. She needed topics that she could talk about with Horatio. She needed a mutual topic or a general topic that would not bore Horatio to death. This was her time to shine in front of Horatio. Nonetheless, she also reminded herself that she would not bring up any topic on Marisol or anything related to it. On top of that, she was also not going to talk about work. They have had enough of work. They spent practically the whole day at work already.

She glanced at her watch. 2 more hours. She was getting nervous and extremely fidgety that Ryan had noticed it and asked why she was fidgeting. She shrugged the question off but Ryan insisted on knowing. She just gave him a reason that she needed to relax and her body is tensed from all the exhausting work of analyzing the evidence. He just rolled his eyes at her. After what she felt was an hour, she looked at her watch again. This time, she cursed aloud that Ryan looked up at her. Only 15 minutes had passed. She had to continue her work. She was getting impatient. She needed the time to pass.

"Nat!" She almost jumped at that. "God Nat. What were you thinking? I called you three times."

"What Ryan?"

"I said we're done for the day. Don't you want to go home?" He frowned at her. "And by the way, I've packed everything up while you were busy entertaining those thoughts of yours. I don't even know what you were doing. You were doodling on the paper." Ryan shook his head in disbelief.

"Sorry. I was just thinking."

"Sure...About what? Your boyfriend?" Natalia rolled her eyes at him at ignored him. Yeah right. Boyfriend. How she wished Horatio was her boyfriend. Then maybe Ryan would be right. She was indeed thinking about her boyfriend. Just after Ryan left, she dashed to the locker room, grabbed her stuff and drove home as fast as she could without breaking any laws. She had an hour to get ready. It was not her initial plan but since Horatio was going to pick her up, she might as well get herself cleaned up a little.

At 7 o'clock sharp, there was a knock on the door. Horatio was a very punctual man and Natalia knew that. The moment she opened the door, it wasn't the Horatio she expected.

**TBC...**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : Another post yay! Is the man at the door Horatio? Let's see...**

**Thank you for your reviews and support. I'm glad you loved it. That has kept me going ;)**

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

**Previously...**

At 7 o'clock sharp, there was a knock on the door. Horatio was a very punctual man and Natalia knew that. The moment she opened the door, it wasn't the Horatio she expected.

* * *

Natalia was shocked. She was in a daze the moment she saw him. She stared at him up and down then back up.

He was not dressed like normal. He did not dress up, neither did he dress down. He was casual. He was still wearing a jacket but he was not wearing his normal work suit. He was wearing a light gray jacket that fitted him perfectly but not tightly, just exposing his lean body. His jacket was buttoned; nipped at the waist which further accentuated his body shape. He was wearing a normal plain light blue shirt inside. The top button of his shirt was undone, exposing the top of his chest and just a little peek of his reddish chest hair. Natalia could see his collarbone and she felt like she could drop dead that moment. Every part of his clothes were ironed to perfection and sharpness. His matching pants were neither tight nor baggy. It fitted him. His shoes were classy black. It was professional yet it had a tinge of class. It fitted him very well. Handsome and classy. His hair was a little ruffled which she found sexy. It wasn't combed to perfection but just a little bit messy. He looked cute and hot and sexy. Natalia felt like she could just combust right there.

Suddenly she thought about what she was wearing. She was just wearing a midnight blue dress which fits her body; showing her curves and a white scarf wrapping around her shoulder to keep her warm. She was not wearing any jewelry except just her daily necklace. Her shoes made her further conscious. She was not wearing heels. She was just wearing pump shoes. She scolded herself inside her head. Horatio caught her staring at him and he decided to speak up, breaking her out of her daze.

"You look..." Horatio paused, trying to find a word in his head. "You look beautiful." He then looked down and blushed. His face was almost as red as his hair. Natalia smiled. "Shall we?" Horatio asked and Natalia shook her head to get a hang of herself. She blushed as she figured that Horatio must have caught her staring. She locked up and followed Horatio to his car. She was getting excited for this dinner. Being the gent Horatio opened the door for her and waited for her to settle down before closing it and headed to his side then drive off.

The moment they arrived at their destination, Natalia stood there with eyes wide opened. It was not what she expected. She had expected posh; like Calleigh already mentioned but what she forgot to mention was this place being a romantic place. She cursed inwardly. She glanced over at Horatio but he did not look surprised. At all.

_'Oh crap Nat.'_ She thought to herself. He turned to look at her and he smiled.

"You okay?" Natalia stared at him, speechless. "Natalia...You alright?" She felt him tap her shoulder gently.

"Yeah I'm okay. I'm sorry about the place. I really didn't know the setting of the place." Horatio maintained his smile and Natalia still does not know why.

"Well, I thought you knew." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"You knew?" He nodded.

"It's quite famous with its Italian cuisine. I'm surprised you got a reservation. I knew what kind of place it is but I guess I assumed you knew it too."

"And you didn't say anything?" Natalia asked unbelievably.

"The food is too good to miss. So I didn't say anything." Horatio smiled sheepishly. "We're already here. Why not just enjoy the food." He said then offered his arm for her to loop her arm around it. Natalia look at him, not believing what he just did. "Shall we? I'm hungry. I haven't eaten the whole day because I was waiting for this." He smiled again. This time, shyly. Natalia nodded and looped her arm over and they both made their way into the restaurant to be seated.

Once they were seated, the waiter gave them the menu and left them to decide their choice of food. Horatio looked very enthusiastic about choosing his food while Natalia was seated awkwardly in front of him. Never did she expect that this place was very romantic. Calleigh did not warn her about this. Posh was all she said. She was so going to kill Calleigh the next day. Furthermore, she was so not dressed for this kind of place while Horatio had made the effort to dress up for this kind of place. Natalia frowned. She did not realize that at the moment she frowned, Horatio was looking at her, wanting to ask her what she wanted.

"You okay? You want to go somewhere else?" Horatio sensed her awkwardness.

"Uhm no. That's okay. I was just thinking."

"The price too steep?"

"No..It's just..." Horatio looked at her, waiting for what she has got to say. "It's just that I'm so not dressed for this place. Oh my god just look around. These people are dressed so nicely. And you...You're dressed up."

"Natalia, you look fine. You look beautiful. Perfect. Don't worry about other people. We're here to eat."

"Oh you can say that because you're so nicely dressed."

"Natalia, like I said, you look beautiful." Horatio smiled shyly as he blushed again. "Shall we order? I'm not forcing but I'm really hungry." Horatio tried to change the topic. Natalia looked at him in disbelief but relented. She scanned through the menu and decided almost immediately since Horatio was really hungry. Horatio called for the waiter and they placed their orders quickly. Natalia could sense the extreme hunger that he was suffering from. He was placing the orders with full enthusiasm and he was speaking quite fast. She shook her head. The phrase _'A hungry man is an angry man'_ fitted him perfectly. This would be her first time seeing Horatio actually eat. Usually during lunch, she would not see Horatio anywhere near the restaurants around the lab or even the cafeteria. She would always see Horatio in his office during lunch hours. While they waited for their food, Natalia was fidgety in her seat for some reason while Horatio was calm and relaxed. Horatio watched as she squirmed and fidget in her seat.

"Natalia, just calm down. Relax. Take a deep breath. You look fine." Natalia looked at him straight into his eyes. She believed him. She straightened herself and calmed herself down. Just looking into his eyes could calm her nerves down. He just has that effect on her and she found it ridiculous.

"Alright. But I think I need to go to the Ladies to just keep myself proper." Horatio nodded and she went straight to the toilet.

The toilet was empty. The moment she entered the door, she rushed to the mirror to look at herself. She was afraid that she was blushing and Horatio could see it. She checked every part of her face and thankfully, she wasn't. When she thought about it, Horatio couldn't possibly see that she was blushing. The lighting in the restaurant was dim. Besides, the lights were orange so he could not possibly have seen the blush on her face. Once again, she had to thank the lighting even though at first, she had cursed it. She needed to touch up her make-up to at least look a little bit presentable for the sake of herself and Horatio. She didn't want to embarrass him or whatsoever.

As Natalia was touching up on her make-up, another customer entered and stared at her. Natalia glanced over at the mirror for a second to take notice of the woman behind her who was watching her. The woman continued to stare at her but never said a word. Natalia tried to brush it off and just ignore the woman but she couldn't. The woman kept staring at her without saying a single word. Finally, Natalia decided to say something. She needed to know why the woman was staring at her.

"Ma'am, is there something that you need? I noticed you've been staring at me for at least almost 10 minutes." The woman looked as if she was in a trance. Natalia called out to her once again and this time she replied.

"You've got a good-looking man with you. Count yourself lucky." The woman then immediately left, leaving Natalia confused. She did not even know that woman. Neither have she seen her anywhere. Natalia shook her head and tried to shrug it off. Maybe the woman was just complimenting and was just trying to point out the fact that she was indeed lucky to have Horatio with her. She smiled at the thought of Horatio being with her. Never had she thought that she would be going out with Horatio just the both of them without the team. She packed her purse and headed back out where she saw Horatio waiting patiently with food already served on the table. Despite being hungry, he was still being a gentleman. He waited for her return before getting started on the food.

As she was admiring how handsome and how adorable Horatio was, she did not realize that she was walking blindly. She walked straight without realizing that she was walking into the direction of a man. Right then, she bumped into the man who was walking in the opposite direction and she got the shock of her life. She was embarrassed to hell. The man whom she bumped into was making a fuss even though no one was hurt. It was just a minor bump. Natalia kept apologizing for her carelessness but the man was just making it a big deal. Customers had turned their attention to them. Horatio was one of them. The commotion had grabbed his attention. He decided to step up.

"Sir, may I know what the issue is?" Horatio asked as he took his place beside Natalia. He had his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Oh. Is your girlfriend blind or something? Can't she see that I was walking?" The man raised his voice at Horatio.

"First and foremost Sir, she is not my girlfriend. And as you can see, she is not blind either. It was an accident. No one got hurt. If you did spill anything, I will gladly replace your order and pay for your laundry." Horatio kept his cool, not wanting to further aggravate the situation. Natalia looked at was him, amazed at how he could keep his cool even in tough situations. That was the one thing she loved about him. However, she was a little hurt that Horatio had told the man that she was not his girlfriend. It was true that she was not his girlfriend but she thought that maybe Horatio would just play along. The man mumbled something in Spanish which made Horatio lose his temper.

"You better leave this place before I call the cops for harassment." Horatio growled coldly and menacingly.

"Fine." The man huffed and left them both alone to return to his table.

"Thank you Horatio."

"Are you okay?" Natalia nodded and apologized for making a fuss in the restaurant. Horatio just smiled and guided her back to their seat. "I think we should just pack our food and take it somewhere else. What do you think?"

"But…it wasn't supposed to turn out this way…" Natalia looked gloomy.

"It's okay. We can take it somewhere else. Besides, you did mention that you're not dressed for this place didn't you?" Horatio gave her an assuring smile. Natalia gave in and agreed with Horatio who then requested to the waiter to pack their food. Once the packed food was delivered to them, the bill was given to them as well. Horatio wanted to pay for it but Natalia stopped him.

"My treat remember?"

"I can't let a lady do that. I'll pay."

"Please Horatio? Besides, this was supposed to be my way of apologizing. And after what happened just now…"

"Alright. But next time, I'm paying." Natalia smiled at that. There was going to be a next time. She was loving this. She hoped that if there were to be a next time, she would not make a fool of herself. Once the bill was paid, the both of them made their way out. Horatio had his arm wrapped around her waist. It was as if he had always done it. He felt comfortable doing that with her. Natalia felt his arm around her waist and she loved the feeling. She loved the warmth of his touch. As they were walking out, they did not realize the two pairs of eyes watching them from afar.

"Oh that bitch. She's gonna be sorry. I'm not letting her off just like that."

"Oh baby I know. She must have done it purposely. She couldn't have been too blind not to notice a man as sexy as you are. She's going to get it from me for trying to seduce my man."

"We will get her babe. We will." The man smirked cunningly and kissed his wife on the lips passionately. They had plans in mind and they were going to execute it. Just like they did with the other girls. They knew they wouldn't get caught.

**TBC...**

**Hope you liked how Horatio looked like. **

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N : Finally an update. I was too engrossed with Return To Me that I completely forgot about this. Sorry. My bad.**

**Enjoyyyyy ;)**

**Previously...**

"We will get her babe. We will." The man smirked cunningly and kissed his wife on the lips passionately. They had plans in mind and they were going to execute it. Just like they did with the other girls. They knew they wouldn't get caught.

* * *

Horatio stopped at the destination. He never told Natalia where they were headed. He only told her that no one would bother them there. Once he stopped the car, Natalia looked around. He was right. No one was there to bother them. Of course no one would. It was a fairly secluded area. She glanced over at Horatio. He had a peaceful look on his face. His eyes were smiling. His face brightened up and she didn't know why. He looked back at her and smiled.

"Shall we?" She nodded and went out together with him. He had carried the food out along with him and he led her further down the road.

It was a beach and it was beautiful. The most beautiful she had ever seen in Miami. The full moon was a bonus. The sea was reflecting the moonlight and it had lighted up the beach a little, just enough to see the shoreline. It was quiet and peaceful. There were only sounds of the waves hitting the shore and the sounds of ruffling leaves. It was dark and the moon was the only light they could depend on.

"Come on." Horatio led her further. "Oh you might want to take off your shoes." Natalia couldn't see his face. She didn't know if he was either smiling or keeping his face straight. It was dark and she could only see his silhouette. Once they reached by the rocks, Horatio stopped. "Is it okay for you to sit here?"

She had found it sweet for him to ask her if she minded sitting on the rocks. She smiled inwardly. "It's okay Horatio. It's a nice place." She didn't really mind sitting on the rocks. Besides, given her nature of job, Horatio should have known that she doesn't mind getting dirty. She wasn't the type of girl who would go after only luxury. Horatio took a seat beside her and handed her the packed food. They ate without any disturbance. There was no noise, there was not a single sound except for the water hitting the shore. The wind was blowing gently, tousling Horatio's hair a little.

"I'm sorry our dinner didn't go as planned." Horatio turned slightly. He put his food down and took off his jacket. "Here. Take this. It's cold out here."

"It's okay Horatio. The wind is great." She smiled at him.

"I insist. I don't want you to fall sick." He held out his jacket for her but as soon as she reached out for it, he put jacket over her shoulders. As he was putting the jacket over her shoulders, his fingers accidentally brushed against her skin and she felt goosebumps forming all over her body. His touch felt so electrifying. She shivered. "I told you it's cold out here." She was glad that he doesn't read minds. Oh she would be so embarrassed if he does read minds. Instead of showing her concerns, she just smiled at him.

"So do you always come here?"

"After a tough case. I come here to find peace." She realized that he had brought her to his quiet place. He brought her to his personal space and she was grateful for that. He had trusted her.

"It's beautiful Horatio. I'm glad you brought me here. But you have nothing to worry about. I won't invade it." Natalia reached out to his arm and gave a gentle squeeze.

He tilted his head sideways and glanced at her. He gave his rare boyish grin. Her touch could melt him on the spot. He had missed the touch. Yet he felt so ridiculous. He was an old man and why would this be a special touch. This was just an assuring touch. Nothing more. Seeing his smile made her night. She wanted so much to just lean forward and take his lips in hers but she knew it was inappropriate. She would never force him. She promised to take it slow with him. She promised that she would win him over. Not force him. She wanted him to be ready on his own. She shrug the thought off, knowing that this was just a casual dinner between two colleagues.

Horatio looked at his watch and it was pretty late. He knew he didn't want this to end but all good things come to an end and this was one of them. He just wished there would be a next time. He politely asked Natalia if she wanted to leave and they both agreed that it was late. Being the gentleman, Horatio stood up first and held out his hands for Natalia to grab it as support. He helped her up then picked bag they used to keep the food. As they walked along the beach, they never uttered a single word but it felt comforting. It wasn't an awkward silence. Enjoying the slow breeze, his eyes focused on her from the side. He didn't want to get caught staring at her.

Natalia on the other hand, felt it. She could sense that Horatio was staring at her, yet she didn't want to say a word. She didn't want him to cave. Instead, she focused her attention to her feet sinking into the soft sand as she took every step. Having him beside her was just enough. She didn't expect him to reach out to her to hold her hand as they walk on the beach. Although, one day, she prayed that it would happen. As they approached the car, Horatio took a detour to dispose the bag and returned to her side, walking her to the passenger's side.

As he was about to open the door for her, he felt the strong urge to lean closer to her. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. He slowly leaned forward, absorbing the musky scent of her perfume. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and she felt her heart thumping hard. She could hear the pumping of heart. She closed her eyes as she felt Horatio leaning closer into her. She was waiting for this. She had been hoping for this for so long. Horatio was taking it so slowly that she wanted to just grab his head and just kiss him but she was patient. She wanted it to be at his own pace.

Then a beep destroyed their moment. They were about to have their very first kiss under the bright full moon and something just had to come up to destroy it. Horatio pulled back immediately and reached into his jacket pocket. Natalia sighed.

"We have a case." She nodded and Horatio opened the door for her. "I'll send you home first. We don't want you to be doing the dirty work in that pretty dress." Horatio smiled.

Horatio made it to the crime scene within half an hour. He had already sent Natalia home to change. She would report straight to the lab after that since Calleigh and Eric was already there. He pulled over across the street and he saw Eric standing over the body. Calleigh was nowhere to be found and Frank was questioning witnesses. Eric saw Horatio pull over his Lexus and he smirked. Despite having a murder at hand, he was still happy for his brother in law. Horatio stepped out and Eric was impressed at him. The blue shirt was a fit on him. It shaped nicely on his body. He saw the gray pants and he knew that there was a matching jacket but he didn't see it on him or in the car when he peeked into the car. Horatio looked dashing.

"Woah H." Eric teased. "Dashing."

"Eric." Horatio snarled. "What have we got?"

"Rose Martinez. The kidnap case." Horatio sighed.

"Same ammo?" Eric nodded.

"Body was cleaned up. Scene had nothing. Calleigh and I canvassed the place. We don't need to wait for autopsy to know that she was tortured."

"Hey I heard my name." Calleigh came in, interrupting. The moment she saw Horatio, she stopped dead at her tracks. "Wow." She had never seen Horatio out of his work suit and now she's seeing him in a casual dressing. Light blue shirt, sleeves rolled up, gray pants and no jacket. Even his sunglasses were out of sight. "Hey handsome." Horatio glanced over to Eric and Eric smiled widely, chuckling aloud. Horatio blushed and even in the dim lighting, they could see his face turning red.

"Come on Calleigh. Stop teasing this dashing man. We don't want him to explode here." Eric chuckled again and Calleigh softly giggled. Calleigh made her way to the hummer to head back to the lab while Horatio and Eric waited for the ME to finish bagging the body.

"So H, great date?" Horatio just rolled his eyes at Eric. "The case came in huh? No hanky panky then?" Eric shut his lips tight, suppressing a giggle.

"Eric." Horatio growled yet Eric still tried to suppress a laughter and failed miserably.

Horatio shook his head then took his leave to head for the lab where the team would be waiting. He was right. Calleigh was already waiting for him with Ryan. Natalia was nowhere to be seen. He checked his watch. It had already been 2 hours. She promised that she would be at the lab as soon as possible. Horatio shrugged it off. Maybe she needed a little more time.

"Cal, you sure that's Horatio?" Ryan asked unbelievably. Calleigh smiled.

"Yeap. That's Horatio. Dashing isn't he." Calleigh laughed. The moment Horatio entered, both of them put on their serious demeanor. They were back to work. Horatio wanted reports on the case. They had been on the case for a very long time. The killer was smart. He didn't leave any evidence on the victim or anywhere around the body. Neither were there any marks on the body that can be used to identify the weapon. Calleigh handed him the photos of the victims from the current case and the previous cases that have yet to be solved. All of them had the same injuries. They were beaten, burnt and electrocuted. They couldn't find anything distinctive on the burn marks.

Horatio sighed. They had gone through this case over and over yet they still couldn't find a break. They needed at least something to give closure to the families of the victims. Their daughters were kidnapped and were not found and when they were found, they were dead. Horatio needed to make it right.

"Have any of you seen Natalia? She hasn't reported yet." Both Calleigh and Ryan looked at each other than back to Horatio. They both shook their heads.

Two hours and Natalia still hadn't reported to the lab. Horatio was getting worried. He should have stayed with her while she got herself changed. He tried calling her cellphone but there was no answer. He tried a few times and there was still no answer. He paced up and down in his office while trying to reach Natalia. After so many tries, he decided to head over to her place to make sure she was alright. He had called for Calleigh to come with him while he tasked Ryan to track her cellphone. Once they arrived at Natalia's condo, her car was still there. Horatio didn't feel right. He reached to his side and unclipped his gun holster, pulling out his gun. Calleigh followed. They reached at her door and Horatio gasped at the sight in front of him. Her door was wide open and he saw his jacket across the hallway.

"Horatio, we've got to call it in." Calleigh broke him from his daze. He composed himself before agreeing to her suggestions. Calleigh quickly fished out for her cellphone and called it in. "Don't you dare pick up that jacket." Horatio glared at Calleigh menacingly. "I know what you're thinking Horatio. Don't." He sighed. He left the scene and sat on the flight of stairs.

He was the last person to see Natalia. He wished he had been there to accompany her. What was he even thinking wanting to pick that jacket up. He just didn't want to create a controversy. He shook his head. That jacket could help them. Even if the rest were to find out that he went out with her, then so be it. He was a man. He deserved to go out with a beautiful woman. Except right now, that woman is missing and he's the only suspect. He sighed as he cradled his head in his hands.

* * *

"Hi princess...Wakey wakey..." The man called out in a sing-song tune. Natalia woke up. Her vision was a little blur but she saw him. She recognized him. She knew him but she doesn't know where she was. She was drowsy. She knew she wasn't at home but where was she?

**TBC...**

**Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe**


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